Just Killing Time
by Neurotic-16
Summary: Time: A continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession. What if the bond holding time was broken and Aeris was transported to an alternate world?


**Title: **Just killing time.

**Rating: **Teen.

**Genre: **Romance, humor, adventure.

**Pairing: **Zack/Aeris.

**Summary: **Time: A continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession. What if the bond holding time was broken and Aeris was transported to an alternate world?

**Chapter 1:**

"Time. What is it but numbers directing our life? Aeris, my dear I believe time can be stopped completely and in doing so I will be able to open a portal to a new world!"

A little giggle escaped the tiny girl's lips as she intently listened to her father, Professor Gast narrate his idea to her. He would do this with her everyday, her very own bedtime story only this one was real, not just some fantasy.

"What does the dean think about it father?" Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, unlike the other scientists who thought that Gast was a madman; she had full belief in his success.

"He will come around soon, my darling. But for now, you must sleep. Good night, my love," that was how his stories always finished, with a kiss goodnight and a smile on her behalf.

For as long as she could remember, her father was her beacon of light, the one she looked up to and admired even though after her mother's death at the tender age of six he became obsessed with his work constantly driving himself to the age in an effort to succeed. Aeris knew that he was occupying himself in something else in an effort to block his beloved Elmyra's memories out and she never said anything to him.

And so to fulfill her duties as a child she began to busy herself around the house in more practical work to assist her father in a different way and thus, at the age of eleven, Aeris was a good cook, was able to clean around the house and was able to be by her father's side as a pillar of support.

Gast was a Professor of physics at the most prestigious university in Gongaga while Aeris herself, was slowly learning the ways of mastering materia. After all, in this world of Gaia instead of excelling in technology, civilization excelled in magic and the dark arts, where the laws of physics and chemistry were governed by magic, their energy harnessed into powerful sources known as materia which gave the user extraordinary powers.

Sadly, due to all her work, she was neglected from the joys of education though her father would always find time to home school her, she never complained, not once. She always found joy in listening to her father's stories of his further success which he told her with great joy and happiness, in turn she also learned from his research and by the age of eighteen she was the dream of every father and the envy of every man.

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Her brown boots tapped against the marble floor while her braided brown hair bobbed against her head, her green eyes sparkled against the sunlight as Aeris made her way to the office of her father; the newly appointed dean of Gongaga College of Physics. The basket swayed in her grip which contained a congratulatory lunch which she had just made, after a swift knock on the door she entered to find her father sitting on his chair facing a young man, deep in conversation.

"Excuse me father, did I interrupt something?" She asked, alerting the two men who turned and looked at her with two very different expressions.

The young man who was indulging in conversation with Professor Gast looked stunned, his baby blue eyes -which reminded Aeris of the beach- were wide open momentarily before the blonde haired man got up courteously and bowed respectfully, something all men were supposed to do in a woman's presence and as Aeris offered her hand, he took it and introduced himself.

"My name is Cloud Strife; I'm a colleague of your fathers. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss. Gainsborough, I've heard so much about you," he gracefully kissed her hand and looked up at her, mentally studying her.

She felt her cheeks heat up momentarily before she smiled, "likewise Mr. Strife. If I interrupted something, I can come back at a later time," she looked at her father if maybe he wanted to dismiss her silently but he just smiled kindly and got up.

"It's alright dear, Cloud and I were finished with our conversation," now turning to Cloud he said, "If you have any questions regarding the subject don't hesitate to call me alright?"

She watched Cloud leave after saying goodbye to both his father and her and after he had closed the door, she handed the basket to her father. "A congratulatory present, I slaved over it the whole morning, I hope that work doesn't go to waste," she grinned at her father who examined the basket with great delight; she knew how big a fan her father was of her cooking.

Professor Gast slowly soaked in the sultry cake that his daughter had baked for him, the flavor mingled in his mouth leaving him wanting more, she was truly a professional when it came to cooking but for now he had to take his mind of her cooking and move on to more important things. He looked at Aeris who was scanning the papers that lay idly on his desk and in need of signature, he was debating in his mind on how to break the important news to her when all of a sudden he blurted it out, "I've done it."

Aeris looked at her father and for a moment thought that her ears were deceiving her but the look on her father's face proved other wise, he had truly done it; he had perfected the door to a parallel world.

******************

A smirk of satisfaction tugged at his lips, he cracked his knuckles and wiped the oil marks on his face, it was a job well done. The red 1978 Mustang convertible came in with the owner complaining about the engine, it was a shame that the beauty wasn't cared for. Zack hated those pompous showoffs who only bought a car to impress a lady and would later leave it for dead but business was business and the owner was paying hefty to have it fixed and why not? Zack Krueger was the best mechanic in Boston.

"Are you done admiring yourself Krueger? As I recall we had plans," when a person saw Sephiroth for the first time, if he wasn't intimidated by his tall persona and icy cold look, he would definitely run away when Sephiroth spoke but Zack was able to overcome all that and in time Sephiroth was his best friend, Sephiroth on the other hand chose to believe that Zack's brain was too non existent to comprehend sarcasm.

"I am a miracle worker Seph, now let me go clean up and we'll get your man date over with."

At Zack's comment, Sephiroth cringed at the two things; one was "Seph," he hated it when Zack called him that which irked him even further to say and second was the fact that he referred to their get together as a "man date," it was no such thing. Sephiroth had come back after being stationed at post at a neighboring border; he was a child prodigy who, at the age of twenty had become one of the youngest colonels in American history, he was in the mood for celebration, Zack as usual, was in the mood for gay jokes.

The man in question emerged a few minutes later out of his "mechanic" clothes and dressed in his normal attire with his usual laid back grin plastered on his face, even though he wasn't the boss of the garage he was considered second in command, being a good mechanic had its plus points.

"I assume you're ready to go now?" Knowing Zack, he probably had something else up his sleeve to attend to.

Zack chuckled and slipped on his jacket, "so how does this work? You buy me dinner then have your way with me? Or do you just have your way with me?"

Sephiroth resisted the urge to strangle his buffoon of a friend and instead sat quietly in his car, "just get in Zack and pray that you come out of this in one piece," it was meant to be a threat; unfortunately the word threat didn't apply to Zack Krueger.

"Sephiroth, you hound dog!"

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**Authors notes: **Wow, so i finally posted my first story O_O Yay! So, reviews will be appreciated, be honest, alright?


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